Come now: James arrests the readers’ attention with the same expression as in 4.13. See the discussion there. It is obviously used for rhetorical effect, and therefore it is desirable to have the same rendering for both places. The rendering of Revised English Bible, “Next a word to you,” sounds too polite in this context, where the tone is distinctly that of rebuke. A rendering like “Now listen [or, Pay attention] to me, you rich people” is more forceful. The people addressed are you rich. For a discussion on the term rich, see 1.10. The rich in Greek is a masculine noun here, and is rendered as “ye rich men” by King James Version (similarly Living Bible); but it obviously does not mean to be exclusive, and so it is best rendered as “you rich people” (so Good News Translation, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version). These are most likely Christians who are blessed with material wealth, people “who have great possessions” (New English Bible), and people of “affluence” (similarly Phillips).

Weep and howl: the verb weep is the same word used in 4.9, where it is used in connection with the thought of repentance. But here James calls the rich people to “weep aloud” (so Goodspeed) because of the certainty of punishment. It is not a call to repentance but a proclamation of damnation. The verb is in the imperative mood, and so in some languages it must be rendered as “you must weep…” (so Barclay). The word howl is a participle in Greek and is to be taken as defining the imperative weep. It is a word whose sound suggests its sense, or is associated with the meaning of what it describes, as in English. It is used only here in the New Testament. In the Septuagint it is often used by the prophets in the sense of loud crying or howling in grief or distress. It describes the reaction of wicked people to the horror of impending divine judgment (Isa 13.6; Ezek 21.12; Amos 8.3). Weeping aloud and howling may sound somewhat strange, indeed exaggerated, to western ears, but in some eastern cultures this is a common way of expressing deep grief and sorrow.

For the miseries that are coming upon you: this is literally “upon your miseries that are coming.” James is explaining the reason for the rich people to weep aloud and howl. In Greek the preposition “upon,” coming after a verb expressing feelings, may mean “because of.” It is so understood and rendered by New International Version, thus “… because of the misery that is coming upon you.” It is also possible to retain its literal sense of “over,” referring to the occasion, thus “… over the miseries…” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible). The participle “coming upon” may be rendered in various ways, conditioned by the understanding of how “miseries” come in the given culture. In English the miseries may be said to be “overtaking you” (Revised English Bible; similarly Goodspeed). In other languages the miseries are “descending [or, falling] upon you”; and in yet other languages this will be expressed as “you are going to receive terrible troubles [or, miseries].” The thought here is certainly more than the uncertainty of riches, which can suddenly vanish; it is rather the terrible hardships and sufferings that are to come as the prelude to the end of the world and the final judgment, as the expression “the last days” in verse 3 obviously shows.

Quoted with permission from Loh, I-Jin and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from James. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .